Apparatus for producing vacuums in electric lamps.



L. A. FELL. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING VACUUMS m ELECTRIC LAMPS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1913.

v INVENTOR L'LQYD A. FELL, OF WARREN, OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING VACUUMS IN ELECTRIC LAMPS.

Applies/{ion filed January 2, 1918.

B ot-enroll hob. Ml, ll-ill.

Serial No. 738,812.

T 0 all whom it mi'ig cone-am Be it known that l, Lnoyn A. li n' zen or" the United States of America, residing at li arren, in the county of lrumbull and State of Uhio, have invented ceriuin new and useful Improvements in Apourstus for Producing Vacuums in Electric Linups, of which the following n specilicmion.

This invention relates to zippnrnlus for producing vacir" is in electric lamp bulbs and the like, in which powdered phos phorus, plmsphoric unhydrid, or other moisture absorbinq material is used; and the ob jecl; of my invention is $0 prevent the entrance of said material into the bulbs of on finished lumps in case of accident, as here inafter explained, and thereby to prevent the destrucfiion of partially exhausted and uncomplcted lamps and consequent financial manufacturing loss. I attain that object by mechanisms of which. the accompanying drawings illustrate the most simple and my preferred form,

Figure l is a, front elevation, partly in section, of an exhausting sppuroius bodyingmy improvement; Fig. 2 is a view of one form. of my improvement unassembled and Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line A A Iig.

Similar numerals to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the manufacturing or incandescent lamps the final operation after the filaments have been seated in the bulbs, consists in exhausting he air from the bulbs and thereupon sealing oil or closin the extreme outer end of the bulb by mating the stem in which the bulb terminates so that it: will drop oil and close up the bulb by the ffllmzk tion of a tip thereon. For economy of lime and labor :1 plurality of lamps finished to said stage are attached at their stems 2. to tubes 3. 3., ordinarily of brass, by means of retaining tubes l. of rubber or the like. The tubes 3. 3. are fastened rigidly to a horizontal tube 5 and open thcreinl'o. A tube 6 having a plurality of openings, '7, '7. in its top, is filled with phosphorus or an equivalent substance to absorb moisture, and is placed inside of tube 5, Whose ends are thereupon plugged up as with stoppers 8, 8. Leading from the bottom of tube 5 to cxhaust pumps (not shown) are tubes 9, which is called the preliminary exhaust, and which carries away the bull; of the air in the lump bulbs and all loose particles, and 10, which is called the final exhaust. The exhaust lul es .l and 10 are alternately manlipululed by 21. pair of gate valves (not shown in detail) which nuiy be operated by connecting rod ll and a hand lever 12.

The whole conlrivunce described is called :1 nmniloid and for the purposes of this upplicslion will be referred to as munil'old A series of nearly finished lumps 1, l, having been attached at their stems 2. lo the niuni'lold 35 it is the duty of the operator, :1. glass blower, to cut oil' the stems and seal up the bulbs by forming lips thereon. In doing so not infrequently the stem breaks and on influx oi air is admitted not only to the bulb sealing but also to the tube 3' to which that stem Was attached; thence lhe air rushes with great force into and tlroughout the Whole of the manifold, taking up the powdered phosphorus in tube 6, through openings 7. 7. and forcing it up through the other tubes 3. 3. into the rest of the bulbs, l. l, where it covers the insides of said bulbs, and frequently the filaments therein; all of which are ruined for-commercial purposes thereby and a complete loss of the unfinishedlamps is occasioned. its :1 remedy and preventive I have inventcd an improvement consisting of the insertion o-f'chcclr valves in the tubes 3. 3 of the manifold 35. I provide valves that will nornuilly permit oi the suction of the air from the bulbs l. 1. through their stems 2. 2 by means of the exhaust pump, and will close szrid stems or prevent admission of air lilierclhrough into the bulbs in (use of uccidcnl, in one form of which, illus'rzi'ted, l inscrl in ouch ol the tubes 3. 3. loose inner lube l i. having zit one end an annular, open head 15 whose exterior diameter is not grinder than that of tubes 3, 3, and having at ils orher end u cylindrical stein, 16, of reduced diameter and nuule to fit closely into 11 corresponding bore 17, through an independent tubular member, 18, having :1 cluuu'l'cred end ill with an opening 20 therethrough, Fig.

A loose plunger 91 is provided huving :1 stem and u colloidal hcud greater in extreme diameter than said stem, The bore 17 in the member 18 is made large enough to admit the head 28 at one cud and smaller at the other end and only large enough to wee -me loosely receive the stem 22. The bore through the stem 16 is reamed to form a seat 24 for the head 23 of the plunger 22.

The purpose of chamfering the end 19 ot' the member 18 and of providing the open ing 20 therethrough is to permit of the passage of air from the interior of the bulbs to the exhausts during normal workings of the exhaust apparatus.

. When the operator breaks a bulb stem while sealing it oh the pressure of the atmosphere forces the plunger 20 upward so that its head 23 enters the seat 24, closes the valve and prevents the fiow of the phosphorus into the other lamps positioned on the manifold. e

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the character described,-a lamp-supporting tube, a tube adapted to extend Within said first-named tube and headed at its upper end to seat v thereon, a tubular member in the lower end of said lampsupporting tube and into which the lower end of sald inner tube extends, and a valve having a stern extending through said tubular member and ahead adapted to seat against the lower end of said inner tube.

2. In an apparatus of the character de,

scribed, a lamp -supporting tube,v a tube adapted to extend Within said first-named tube and having its upper end formed with an enlarged head adapted to rest on the end thereof, and its lower end chamfered to In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

LLOYD Am FELL.

Witnesses DAVID R. GILBERT, STEPHEN 

